This is War
by vacantstare18
Summary: Michelle and Carissa are your average twenty one year-olds, living together in an apartment. Well, that is until one night, when they played Dragon Age during a thunder storm. OC/Alistair OC/Zevran M!Cousland/Morrigan
1. Prologue

Prologue~*~the man in her dream~*~

Michelle shivered as the bitterly cold mountain winds bit at her exposed skin. She quickly pulled the fur clothing tighter to her body. The short brunette shifted closer to the man standing by her side and glanced up at him, her golden brown eyes darker than normal. So she was clearly pissed off about this mission. Carissa glanced back at them; hazel eyes aglow and her raven hair still neat and pretty.

"Come on shorty! We are almost there!" She called out still chipper; after all _she_ loved the cold. Michelle on the other hand despised it and wanted to be warm! Next to a fire, under a blanket, or curled up next to someone so that she could stick her ice cold feet on any part of their bare skin! Not in this blasted weather! The girl stopped suddenly when that familiar burning sensation rose in her chest. "Fuck," she muttered and turned to the man by her side and they both knew. "Darkspawn!" she shouted warning the others as he drew her twin daggers.


	2. Chapter 1

AN- Yeah jut going to go ahead and warn you that this chapter is a bit dull. It introduces you to Michelle and Carissa and pretty much shows you how their days go normally. It isn't meant to be exciting. Anyways read and review! I love constructive criticism!

Chapter 1

The Nurse and the Student

Michelle frowned as a single ray of sunlight hit her directly in the face. "C'mon sun… lemme sleep jus a bit longer…" she mumbled groggily as she desperately fought against waking up. Soon, after she had managed to tug her dark purple comforter over her head to block out the sun, her cellphone rang. A soft sob escaped her and she sat up glancing around for her small green phone. Spotting it on her nightstand, she reached over to answer it.  
"Hello?" she mumbled.  
"Michelle! Unlock the door!" Her roommate, Carissa, shouted though the speaker. Michelle groaned and glanced at the time, 11:29 a.m.  
"Forgot your keys?" There was no answer so that meant yes. "Be there in a sec." She grumbled. Michelle paused attempting to remember her dream. Cold, that was the only thing that came to mind when she thought about it. Was it that reoccurring dream? She shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

Michelle opened the front door in an extra-large orange t-shirt and a pair of baggy navy-blue sweatpants. Why she wore clothes way too big for her Carissa would never understand! Carissa rushed inside removing her coat and scarf in the process. Michelle closed the door, turned around, and walked right over to the couch. Then she plopped down onto the seat and wrapped herself up in a throw.  
"It is too cold outside! How can you stand it?" Michelle mumbled as she turned on the TV.  
"Simple! I wear warm clothes!" Carissa smiled as she threw some of last night's lasagna into a bowl and tossed it into the microwave. "I'm going to get changed real quickly." She shouted as she sprinted across the wood floor to her bedroom. Good thing they were on the first floor and their next door neighbor was never home, otherwise they'd have noise complaints all the time. Michelle flipped through channels, hoping that something good would be on.  
"Do you work tonight?" Carissa asked.  
"No, why?"  
"There is a major storm that is going to hit us tonight. We both know how much you _love_ storms."  
"I feel sorry for the people who are working the ER tonight."  
Carissa walked out of her room wearing a dark green t-shirt and a pair of dark grey sweatpants.  
Michelle continued flipping through channels until she reached the end.  
"Well do you want to watch infomercials or crappy Children's shows? There is absolutely nothing on!"  
"Well how about some games?" Carissa asked as she sat down with the bowl of food.  
"You know what? Your mom makes the best lasagna ever!"  
"Oh what? No credit goes to me for cooking it?" Michelle asked as she stood up so that she could set up her PS3.  
"Of course not!" Carissa laughed. Michelle shot a glare at her and then reached over to grab her controller.  
"So which game are you playing?" Carissa asked between bites.  
"Dragon Age Origins, I just recently bought it and I have yet to beat the damn thing! I'm stuck on this one darkspawn boss that keeps beating me into a pulp!"  
"Can you start a new game so that I know what is going on?"  
Michelle shrugged and started a new game. "Why not? I haven't seen the other storylines yet."

The hours passed as the girls played the game. Their character was Calistra Cousland, the rouge royal and a bit of a whore. "Why is she a rouge? I mean she is royalty!" Carissa laughed.  
"I don't know! Why is there an option to flirt with Duncan? Hell, why did you flirt with him?"  
"I just did okay!"  
The girls laughed and soon Michelle snorted causing the girls to laugh even harder. Everything was great for the girls. It is such a shame that good things must end eventually.

A massive boom shook the room and the room was filled with a blinding white light.  
When the light faded, the girls were no longer in the apartment.  
It was empty and they were nowhere to be found.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N- Well this took some time! The stupid thing just went poof when I tried to save it! Plus, College and work has decided to start eating up most of my time but I'll keep on writing this! I'll update when I get the chance!

* * *

Chapter 2

Lost and Dreaming

It felt as if her head had been shoved underwater, yet she could still breathe. What was happening? Why was every small sound muffled? Michelle attempted to open her eyes but closed them quickly when the light caused a sharp pain right behind her eyes. She attempted to move then and gasped as her entire left side ached with pain. Wait, what had she done in order to have her body hurt? Was this some sort of cruel joke? Did she get drunk last night? Maybe this was a hangover of sorts? She tried to open her eyes again and was glad that it no longer hurt but everything was blurry and slowly clearing up a bit. She was outside judging from all of the green blurs and she was lying down on the ground. Other than that she had no idea where she was. The sounds of the place were beginning to become recognizable as she stayed there one the ground; birds chirping, the wind blowing through the trees, and the horrifying howl of wolves nearby.  
Um, wait… WHAT? Wolves and trees are not in any normal city or an apartment! Michelle sat up quickly, grunting in pain as her body ached. Glancing at her left arm she noticed that her wrist was swollen but it most likely was sprained, nothing too serious. There would be a massive bruise but still she could deal with it. She then had to look down at her shirt again noticing that it was a plain beige color and that her pants were brown and not jeans or a pair of her sweatpants. Plus she didn't have any shoes! Great. Confused and sore, Michelle stood up, determined to find a way home or even find out where she was. Supporting her weight on a nearby tree as the woods spun around her. Michelle clung to the tree that was now the only thing preventing her from falling over. Standing still for a moment, she tried to regain her balance when another howl caused her to panic. The wolf was closer by the sound of it.  
'Keep it together idiot! Don't panic!' she recited inside her head. 'Stay calm and keep a clear mind! Remember? I have to get out of here or at least get away from it!' Michelle grunted and slowly started down what she believed was the path. She walked down the path, alone and her feet were killing her since she would step on a rock every now and then. Eventually, she slumped against a tree and sighed.  
"I give up. This is getting me nowhere." She laughed a bit and closed her eyes. She breathed evenly and decided to rest since she had no idea where she was going and she was most likely not going to find her way to town. Soon the girl was dreaming of being at her home. Not just any home but where her mom lived. She was probably cooking, maybe a cake or pie but she was cooking as usual. Michelle smiled slightly at the thought and then she couldn't help but wonder where she was. There were no forests in Texas, well none that she was aware of. So this could be a different state, but she wasn't sure since which state. Plus how would she have traveled to a different state? She had been drunk before and woke up in odd situations, but never has she woken up in a forest! Was this some sort of sick joke? Where was Carissa though?  
A low and menacing snarl caught her attention and slowly she opened her eyes. There stood three wolves. Oh but with her luck today they were probably starved and were rabid! Slowly she stood up, trying to keep from making any sudden movements hoping that she was lucky for once in her life. "Ha, nice puppies…" Her nerves were causing her to start giggling softly. "Nice and not hungry puppies, please don't attack me. I'm just going to walk away slowly now and hopefully you won't attack me." Slowly she backed away as the wolves' eyes followed her and soon she heard snarling behind her too. Glancing back she noticed that there more of them, about five more of them! This day was just getting better and better!  
One wolf lunged at the girl and she ducked just in time and the wolf slammed into a tree with a loud thump. Michelle laughed triumphantly when she avoided the wolf and she then ran down the path as fast as her short legs could. She could hear them right behind her and they were gaining on her.  
"Get down!" a male voice shout at her. Glancing up she noticed something silver and fast. Listening to the unknown man, she quickly fell to the ground as a sword sliced through the air. Michelle glanced back and was almost startled to see the wolf that had been right behind her down and bleeding out on the ground. The rest of the pack backed away from their dead comrade and ran in the opposite direction.  
"Those damned wolves! There must be something wrong!" A man said and Michelle was pulled up to her feet suddenly. "I've never seen them act like this before! They normally don't attack travelers!" Michelle shook her head violently and pulled a few blades of grass from her tangled hair. Then, when her hair was somewhat decent, she turned to the man and paused when she saw him. What in the world? A helmet prevented her from seeing the man's face but that was not the only odd thing. Why was he wearing armor and why did he have a sword? This wasn't a dream because she could feel pain and she defiantly wasn't at her apartment, so where the hell was she? None of it made any sense to her!  
Panic rose in her chest and she had to force herself to not cry or scream. The man wiped off the blood on his blade and turned to the girl. "Forgive me but what is a girl doing out here deep in the forest? Unarmed and barefoot? You must be foolish! By the Maker, what if I had not been here? You'd be in the bellies of those wolves!" The man continued on not allowing Michelle to get a word in. Michelle frowned and mumbled, "Where am I?"  
The man stared at her and slapped her on the back roughly. "Why you are outside of Denerim dear girl! Oh! I never did catch your name! I'm Aidan!" Michelle stared at the man as if he was completely insane. "Michelle. Nice to meet you Aidan." She mumbled questioning her own sanity. Denerim was a town in Fereldan, a country in her game! She was certain that it wasn't a real place and that people no longer use armor or swords! Aidan stared at the girl, sensing that she was confused. "If you would like I could take you to Denerim." He stated casually. Michelle nodded and looked up at him.  
"That would be great!" She needed to figure out what was going on!

* * *

Michelle nearly fainted when they arrived at Denerim. It was just like the game but it was real! She must be completely insane! Aidan patted the girl's back, worrying a bit when he saw her expression.  
"Is everything ok?" He asked bringing the girl back from her thoughts. "First time in Denerim, Michelle?"  
"Yes. Actually I've never been anywhere near here." Michelle frowned slightly. Aidan smiled and nodded his head. "Well, since you are new here, allow me to be your tour guide!"  
_Don't trust him!_ Michelle was startled by the voice that seemed like it had been whispered into the back of her mind.  
_"_No thanks!" she said and walked off quickly. Aidan was startled by her abrupt retreat and sneered.

Michelle was frightened and entered the first place she saw, praying that it wasn't someone's home. The place was dimly lit by candles and smelled like lavender and she couldn't help but feel calmer in this place. The floor creaked as she took a small step into the room. "Hello?" an elderly sounding voice called out. Michelle panicked and turned back to the door, about to leave when the voice called out, "Are you Michelle?" She turned around and saw an elderly woman standing in a doorway. "Why yes you are!" The woman smiled and motioned for Michelle to follow her. Michelle wasn't sure what to do but followed the woman into a brighter room with a table and chairs. The fireplace on the left side of the room was burning brightly and had something cooking in a pot that smelled really good. The woman motioned for the girl to sit at the table as she went off to another room in the house. A bowl of stew sat there, steam still rising from it. Michelle's stomach growled and she sat down quickly and began to scarf down the hot food. The woman returned with a bundle that was placed on the table and she chuckled softly. "He was right! You are starving!"  
Michelle pushed aside the empty bowl and asked her, "He? Who are you talking about?"  
The woman smiled kindly and leaned forward to whisper in Michelle's ear, "The Maker dear." she leaned back and smiled almost knowingly. "He said that you were coming here and that you would need some help. He told me to give you some armor and other things." Michelle stared at the woman.  
"The Maker told you?" She asked skeptically. The woman laughed and patted the girl's back. "Yes dear! He told me that you wouldn't believe me but I promise that he told me! However, how do you think that I knew your name? "

Michelle sighed. Great just what she needed! Some divine power 'helping' her. The woman shook her head and pointed at the entrance door. "My grandson is a merchant Michelle, and he will help you. He can teach you what you need to know and somethings that you shouldn't know but none the less they will help!" The woman laughed. Michelle sighed, "Thank you ma'am."  
"Don't thank me just yet! After all I'm pretty much sending you to your doom!" Michelle's eyes widened in horror. "What?" The old woman laughed and pointed at the bundle. "I am kidding child. Now then I'll show you how to put the armor on dear and then you will go travel with my grandson."

* * *

Garrett, a man around her age, had agreed to help his grandmother and was actually grateful for some company for once. Michelle couldn't complain about her current companion. He didn't ask many questions and he wasn't talkative. Not bad, but not good either. He wasn't bad to look at though. His hair was short and dark brown, icy blue eyes, and he had a nice body. However, after they set up a camp later that evening, she found out what she would be taught.

"Honestly! Your form is not improving! In fact it is getting worse!"  
"Shut up! It's not like I've done this before! Show me how again!"  
"Again? I've showed you how five times already!"  
"Obviously you are not that good of a teacher then!"  
"Oh for the love of-!" Garrett shouted as he threw down his twin daggers.  
He stormed over to the girl and grabbed her shoulders moving them slightly and spreading her feet apart. Michelle groaned and glared at him.  
"Seriously? I had it the first time!"  
"No you didn't!"

Michelle was just oh so excited to see what was in store for her...Not.


	4. Chapter 3

A/n- Holy crap! This chapter has gone through my head multiple times with different scenarios each time and I finally settled on this! Sorry this took a while!

~-~  
Chapter 3  
Complications

_Carissa fidgeted with her long dark green robes and turned around to glance at the mages that were in the room with her. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach and she was trying her best not to look nervous. Who could blame her though? They had forced her to go through the Harrowing only after four months of being trained magic! They said she was ready but she didn't believe that she was just yet! Something had happened though in her Harrowing that made the First Enchanter and the Templars leave the room. Carissa glanced out the window and couldn't help but to wonder how Michelle was. Hopefully she wasn't going through this kind of torment._

_Carissa then jumped when the First Enchanter entered the room along with the Templar Captain. Her panic rose when she saw the group of Templars enter the room. In the few months here she had learned to fear them and their abilities. Had they decided her fate? Had she passed or failed? The First Enchanter glanced at her and a kind smile lit up the features on his face._

Carissa cracked open her eyes and couldn't help but smile when she saw the sunlight passing through the canopy of leaves overhead. Four months, two weeks, and five days, that was how long it had been since she felt the sun on her skin. That was before the circle, before the escape, when she had… that incident. "You woke up finally?"

A smile tugged at her lips when Arian, the mage who she had convinced to help her escape, reached a hand out to help her up. "Well I don't wake up easily." Carissa mumbled took her hand and pulled herself up to her feet. She stretched and glanced over at her current traveling companion. "So what now?" she asked.

Arian sighed and tossed a pack at her. Carissa fumbled the pack around a bit and frowned at Arian who shook her head slightly. "**This** is where our paths split. The Templars will be looking for us so if we travel together we will be caught that much quicker. Forgive me Carissa but I must find someone before I am captured again." Arian shouldered her pack and started down a path through the forest. "I have someone that I need to find too! You can't just abandon me!" Carissa argued following after the other Apostate.

Arian turned to the younger woman and smiled slightly. "Then you better hurry and find whoever you are searching for." Carissa starred after Arian and frowned when the girl didn't look back. Who needed that pessimist anyways? Of course the only reason Carissa had agreed to escape with Arian was because she reminded her of her best friend, only Michelle wasn't as negative! Carissa sighed when she turned down to the other path, the one that led to Redcliffe.

Too bad Michelle wasn't here with Carissa. She could probably tell her everything she wanted to know about this new town. Carissa started down the path keeping the hood of her new cloak up so that no one could see her face.


	5. Chapter 4

A/n: Ok I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to write again. Things just haven't been easy this past year and I've had this on my desktop, just sitting there. Let me just say again I'm so sorry!

Chapter 3- The start of the problems

Michelle stared out at the setting sun from the wagon. It reminded her of home, of her friends, of her family. It was difficult to even think that she had been gone for six months. What did her family think? Did she just disappear? Was Carissa here too or was it just her trapped here? Was Carissa still alive? She grits her teeth together. No Carissa had to survive. She just had to survive. She couldn't lose the one person in her life who was more like her sister than her real sister was.

She drew one of her twin daggers, the metal glinting in the last remnants of the sun. Since when was she a fighter? She was a nurse because she had wanted to help people, but in these past months she had trained to use the daggers to cause harm. She had learned how to sneak around, pick locks, and disarm traps. She learned to survive, and she did it without a problem, most of the time. It was just difficult to believe that she had changed like this.

"Thinking about something?"

Michelle almost jumped a foot into the air and shot a glare at Garrett. He laughed and shook his head slightly. "You really need to pay attention Michelle. What if I had been one of the Darkspawn?" Garrett asked as he packed the rest of his merchandise into the back of the wagon.

"I'd kill you." Michelle stuck out her tongue at him. "You didn't realize that I was there though." He stated, completely serious. Garrett climbed up and took hold of the reigns so that they could continue their journey to Lothering. "Maybe I knew you were there." Michelle smirked at him as she lay down to stare up at the sky. He simply rolled his eyes and started talking about staying in an inn tonight since they were pretty close to the Spoiled Princess. 'Really? Who in their right mind would name an inn that?' Michelle's mind wandered as Garrett continued to talk about something that Michelle had no interest in.

Eventually Garrett punched her in the arm. Michelle glared at him. "What was that for you ass?" She growled. "You weren't answering me. I said that they are gathering an army at Ostagar. I was thinking…Maybe it would be best if you stayed in Redcliff instead of going to Lothering with me. The Darkspawn-"

"Don't you dare leave me there while you try to go and fight in the army. Also , no. No you can't fight in the army at Ostagar!" Michelle rolled over onto her belly and sighed. "I need you to help me Garrett. I have to find Carissa. That is, if she is here. " She mumbled under her breath. It was selfish of her, to want Garrett with her until she found Carissa. She knew that and she'd say that she wanted him to be with her only because she didn't know her way around.

Honestly though, she didn't want to be alone. Ever since she was a kid she hated to be alone, without friends. She remembered that feeling and… owed Carissa. Her eyelids slowly grew heavy as she wondered, yet again, how and where Carissa was.

When the wagon tipped over, Michelle fell with it.


End file.
